Seven Years of Wonder
by abski
Summary: One-shot. They've been secret best friends since first year, but something tore their friendship apart. A story that tests the limits of friendship and love.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters

***

YEAR ONE

"Why are you crying?"

Hermione Granger jumped, startled, and quickly blinked away her tears. Narrowing her eyes at the unwelcome visitor, she asked, "Why do you care?"

"Well I don't," Draco Malfoy responded. "But you're in my spot."

Hermione looked around her, "Your spot? No. I found it first. I found it three weeks ago. I've never seen you here before."

"Well I found it during the first week of school."

Hermione's face fell, "Oh."

Draco continued, "I usually come here in the middle of the night but I didn't feel like going to dinner." He plopped down next to Hermione, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the giant tree on the far side of the Lake. In the waning dusk, the castle looked like a shining beacon of light, bathed in golds, husky roses, and slight tinges of midnight blue.

"So," Draco said, eyes still closed, "you didn't answer my question."

"Huh?"

"Why were you crying?"

"You…I…I was…I was not," she muttered unconvincingly.

"Yes you were."

"No I wasn't."

"Was too."

"Was NOT!" Hermione shot up from her seat, hands on her hips, glaring at the pale boy beneath her. After a brief second of silence, she added, "Why do you care anyway? You're always mean to me."

Draco finally opened his eyes. "I'm really not that mean. I don't…don't want to be. I just…just…" he trailed off. "But I really do care. I don't like crying."

"I wasn't crying!" Hermione adamantly insisted. "I was just…just…sad."

"Why?"

"Because some people in my house are really mean. I don't…have anyone to talk to," she quietly admitted.

"You…you can always talk to me," Draco responded truthfully.

"But then the other Slytherins will be mean to you!"

"I know," Draco sadly replied. Then he brightened, "So what if we keep this a secret? And this could be our secret place?"

"Secret friends?"

"Yea."

"Okay."

YEAR TWO

"Evil little twit!"

"Buck-tooth beaver!"

"Bugger off Malfoy! Why don't you go bother someone else?"

"Because you're just so easy to annoy _Mudblood_."

Hermione gasped, tears immediately springing to her eyes, precariously clinging to the rims of her eyes. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley glared ferociously at Malfoy and his cronies while wrapping Hermione in their comforting arms.

"You're horrible Malfoy," Hermione whispered. She shrugged off her friends' arms and slowly walked away, eventually heading to _their_ spot.

Someone was already waiting for her there, sitting on a low branch of the tree. The figure jumped down and ran over to Hermione.

"I'm sorry. I told you that I would say it. I didn't mean it. I had to. All of my friends say that and I have to say it or else they'll think I'm weird or something," Draco rushed out.

"I know. But it still made me upset. But it's not your fault. You did tell me before that you'd be saying it."

"I'm really sorry. You know I didn't mean it."

"I know, I know, It's okay."

Hermione leaned forward and hugged Draco who stiffened at first but then gently relaxed. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around the smaller girl.

"I've been hugged before," he confessed.

Hermione pulled slightly back and gaped, "Never?"

"No," he said quietly.

"Hermione resumed her hug, holding as tightly as possible. She mumbled, "I'll hug you every day then."

Draco smiled.

YEAR THREE

"That really hurt you know," Draco whined as Hermione tended to his bleeding nose. "You might've even broken it. You pack a hard punch Hermione."

"Oh stop complaining. You deserved it!"

"No I didn't!"

"Episkey," Hermione said, pointing her wand at Draco's nose. "Yes you did. Don't talk about Hagrid that way."

"But…it's kind of true."

Hermione reeled back, in half disbelief. "How could you say that?! That's horrible of you!"

"All of my friends agree, I mean, half the time Hagrid's—"

"They aren't your friends. You've been hanging around your Slytherins too much," Hermione said hotly.

"Then who is?" Draco jumped up from the branch and started pacing. "Then who is? You say Crabbe and Goyle are stupid, which I guess they are, but then who can I hang out with Hermione?" Draco finished, chest heaving with frustration.

"Me," Hermione said.

"You can't be my only friend Hermione. You have Harry and Ron and you might leave me one day," said Draco, ducking his red face.

"I'd never leave you Draco! Never!" Hermione passionately promised.

Draco sat down next to Hermione and sagged against the tree. "You never know."

"Yes I do! You're my best friend!" Hermione said.

Draco's eyes widened in shock. She'd never said that before.

"I'm…you…you're my best friend too," Draco stumbled. Hermione smiled.

"Well of course I am," Hermione said smugly but the sparkle in her eye revealed her happy surprise.

"Actually, I'm not so sure anymore," Draco teased.

Hermione lightly punched Draco's arm and moved closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Draco smiled at her.

"You know, they're not all that bad," Draco said after awhile. "The other Slytherins I mean."

"You don't know half the things they've done and said!"

"I know, but some of them are alright."

Hermione sighed. "Alright, if you say so, but be careful. Don't be one of them. Please," Hermione pleaded.

"I won't."

"Promise me."

"I promise."

YEAR FOUR

"He's back, he's back. Oh god, Draco he's back!" Hermione sobbed as she ran into Draco's arms. "He's back, Harry saw him and the Death Eaters….masks…so much blood…his arm."

"Draco pulled back, grasping Hermione's shoulder.

"Who was there?" he asked frantically. "Hermione did Potter say who was there?"

"I don't know-don't know!" Hermione turned away guiltily. Suspicion crept up on him.

"Was my father one of them?"

Hermione turned back to face Draco with tears glittering in the moonlight.

"Yes."

YEAR FIVE

"You're becoming one of them! I can see it! You're so…so cold all the times now. You avoid me, the only reason why we're here is because I had to follow you! What is going on? Draco, please tell me," Hermione begged.

Draco softened at the porcelain face pleading with him before hardening into his typical aristocratic marble.

"Nothing. Nothing is going on. Don't worry about it," he said shortly. Draco began to turn around to make his way back to the castle. Hermione yanked him back, eyes blazing.

"Draco Malfoy, don't lie to me. I know you too well to believe your lies. Tell me, now!"

Draco stared back, ready to angrily retort, but as he opened his mouth, his face crumpled.

"I…I can't tell you but please believe me when I say that I would never hurt you. Never."

Hermione gasped, "You're going to become a Death Eater. Oh god, you…your…you are…you, a Death Eater. Oh please don't Draco. Please, why?"

"I have to, Hermione, I can't tell you why, but I wouldn't go through with it unless I thought it was necessary. Please believe me." It was Draco's turn to beg.

"Why?"

"I…I can't tell you."

"Yes you can, you're just afraid of admitting that you _want_ to become a Death Eater. I can't believe this," Hermione staggered back, looking at Draco with a mixture of disgust, fear, and contempt etched in her face. "You're a coward, Draco Malfoy. You broke your promise to me. Don't…don't come near me anymore. Don't talk to me…don't…I can't…" Hermione trailed off, unable to articulate her chaotic thoughts.

"I _don't_ want to Hermione!" Draco exclaimed. "I'm telling the truth, I promise!"

"Your promises mean nothing to me," Hermione fiercely said. Then, she walked away, leaving a broken boy with only half a heart left.

YEAR SIX

"Tell me it's not true."

Draco wheeled around, searching for the speaker, until his eyes fixated on Hermione's emerging figure.

"Tell me it's not true. Tell me you're not actually planning to kill Dumbledore."

Showing no emotion, Draco succinctly replied, "I can't, because I am."

"What happened to you?" Hermione breathed. "What happened to that boy who made all those promises to me?"

"Promises are meant to be broken." Draco's mask fell for a slight second as he continued, "After all, you promised to never leave. Turns out, you did—right when I needed you the most."

Hermione stood shock still, the truth like an arrow in her heart as she watched the man walk back.

YEAR SEVEN

_Dear Miss Granger, _

_By the time you read this letter (if you even do read this letter), I will have already started my next adventure in death's dream kingdom. _

_As I had once said before, there is rarely anything at Hogwarts that I am in the dark about. Yes I know this must come as a shock but I am not just an old coot who makes vague and terrible demands of young wizards and witches. _

_I have come to understand that you and a mister Draco Malfoy were once close friends. He came in to my office one night, most distressed, to talk to me about his future. While this is not my story to tell, I am afraid that young mister Malfoy will not seek you out because of his insistence that you want nothing to do with him. I had offered him membership to the Order but he adamantly refused…because of you. The senior Malfoy had made a serious threat to your life and mister Malfoy felt compelled to join Voldemort's ranks for your protection. He also told me of his task to kill me so we figured out a plan._

_I will say nothing more on this matter except this: love is the most powerful force in the world Miss Granger—do not run._

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore _

***

"I thought you'd be here," Hermione said quietly as she approached the tree.

Draco looked up from his position at the base of the tree.

"Is there anything I could help you with?" asked Draco in vain attempt to mask his turmoil and grief. Hermione winced as a stab of guilt tore at her heart.

She regained her composure and held up Dumbledore's letter, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Draco quickly skimmed the contents of the letter. "You could've told me. I would've understood Draco!"

"Would you really have?"

"Yes," Hermione responded emphatically.

"No you wouldn't have. You would've have sacrificed yourself for my safety."

"But that's what you did! How could you say that when that's exactly what you did!"

"It was my decision at the time, a necessary one, and not yours."

"But I shouldn't have left you! I should've known you wouldn't do anything like that intentionally. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize Hermione. It isn't your fault."

The conversation stilted for a moment before Draco spoke up again.

"Let's start over Hermione."

Hermione frowned sadly for a minute second before slapping on bright smile, "Yes let's. No Voldemort, no Death Eaters, no parents. Start fresh."

Draco smiled.

_Don't worry, _they both thought_, after all…tomorrow is another day!_

***

Can anyone guess where the last line is from? It's actually pretty popular so if you don't know it, I suggest you find out and then watch it, ASAP!

Anyway, I hoped you all enjoyed it! REVIEW! REVIEW!


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